MovieChat Forums > Blue Ruin (2014) Discussion > I really don't get it, why was this good...

I really don't get it, why was this good?

posted 10 years ago by Murray_the_evil_skull
17 replies | jump to latest

After reading the reviews, I went ahead and rented this on itunes. It starts off good to the point of the revenge kill and leaving the car behind, after that, the movie just becomes tedious. There is nothing new here, it is just straight forward and nothing we haven't seen before. No really stand out scenes, not much interesting dialogue, story is just typical. I found myself constantly checking to see how much time was left and this is a 90 minute movie! So why all the love, I really don't understand it. Some people are even calling this a masterpiece. Really? I think these people have not seen enough movies.

[–] AmosNomore 10 years ago

Well, maybe you've just seen too many, mister jaded guy dude.

[–] JakeZen2 10 years ago

It is slow by comparison to other revenge movies but I found this far more realistic and engaging than revenge movies where the protagonist suddenly acquires Navy Seal abilities. (another big plus... no cheesy one-liners when he faces his enemy) I also found the beginning very wrenching once we realize why this guy is living in his car and cannot rejoin society. This was one of the best movies, which involved violence, I have seen in a long time mostly due to the fact it completely did not follow Hollywood rules. This is a prime example of why independent movies are so much better than the same dreck Hollywood puts out each year. I don't know if the writer/director planned it, but this is almost an homage to Death Wish as it had the same kind of slow burn, gritty realism, without the weird sound effects.

[–] bruce-129 10 years ago

Yeah, I liked this so much better than the typical BS revenge movie. This guy really
had to have guts and resourcefulness to do what he planned, and he did it, but not
quite perfectly.

In the cliche movies, it's always some macho buffed out hero whose wife gets killed,
and you see the cliche scenes were he gets tons of weapons and ammo, and makes
all kinds of macho threats.

This movie was much better. This guy was really messed up from the trauma ... meaning
when someone in your family dies, especially by violence, it affects you.

I don't know why I watched this movie, I thought it would be bad, but I ended up liking
it pretty well.

1) UnWatchable 2)Watchable,ButBad 3)Decent,SeeOnce 4)Good,Repeat&Recommend 5)Great,Classic

[–] cyril_grey 10 years ago

Spoilers (possibly)

It stands out because it's pretty much how a real revenge situation would go. You see films like Taken and Neeson clears rooms of twenty+ guys with nary a scratch, yet if you and I did it, we'd probably miss our first six shots because our hands were shaking so much.

I liked the gritty realism and the sloppy protagonist and I like that there was so much moral grey area with everyone. My only issue was the final stand offhe came that far and heard them threaten his sister, yet he hesitates with the women. And then they scream for the son to kill him, he gets control of the situation again- and still he hesitates. Wtf!? OK, maybe the mom, but the other woman (wife? daughter?) had that wiked scowl on her face and was practically seething rage. He should have shot her, then hesitated.

[–] askmonroville 10 years ago

I kind of felt the say way, as I was yelling at the screen "Just SHOOT 'em!".. but then I thought about what Ben said ("It's personal.. that's why you'll fail. No speeches... just shoot."), as well as the fact that Dwight really didn't want to kill anyone short of the one who killed his parents. I guess it's the old "he kills the guy because he's a GUY, and he spares the women because they are WOMEN" bit that we've grown so accustomed to in movies. So maybe it was modern film culture that got him killed?

[–] The_Mob_Has_Spoken 10 years ago

I loved the movie for its sensibilities: the characters are not all-knowing and infallible. They do not know just what to do and they don't have a slick one-liner ready for after they do it. Inept stabbing murders in bar restrooms can be both horrific and kinda funny in this universe. A homeless drifter can bumble his way through several attempts on his life. It felt like a good novel or short story to me. The only thing missing was likeable characters, but likeable characters in such a movie are entirely beside the point. This movie didn't care if you liked the characters or not. It was a breath of fresh air to me. This movie says to the audience, "just sit your ass down and watch." That's also part of the appeal: this movie did on a shoestring budget what $100-million blockbusters don't even bother to do anymore: it engages the audience and shows things, it doesn't spell them out and gives the audience a little credit. No, as a crime thriller, the story isn't all that interesting or original, but as a film it was expertly made.

"Ass to ass. Ha ha ha ha. ASS TO ASS!"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa5z77EI8y0

[–] mobocracy 10 years ago

You get shot with an arrow, attempt to remove it yourself, walk yourself into the hospital when you've nearly bled to death and as soon as you come to you walk out of the hospital? Maybe that's not infallible, but it's sure as hell pretty indestructable.

I liked the ordinary guy aspect, but would have bought into it more if maybe he hadn't seemed so tough.

The first half or so was pretty good, but it kind of felt weak after.

[–] true80 10 years ago

I thought the first 30 minutes were engaging, then it started to drift for me. The tension completely dissipates. I like a slow burn, but I didn't feel like it was building toward anything. The revenge plot is essentially wrapped up once the guy in the trunk tells him the real culprit is dead; I thought Wade Jr's murder was sloppily justified when his brother told Dwight that Wade Jr had killed some *beep*

I just had a lot of problems with it after taut opening. That said, it was technically impressive, especially on a shoe-string budget.

[–] Coldmanfreeze 10 years ago

Some nice photography but yeah nothing about this movie is special.

[–] DeadlySinner 10 years ago

This movie did several things differently to the usual revenge movie. The most important two are:

1. The main character is incompetent at revenge. Which makes sense, since he hasn't done anything like this before. This leads to funny reversals of tropes, like the arrow extraction scene. In any other movie, he would have gotten the arrow out after a little pain. In this film, he fails at getting it out, stumbles into a hospital like a fool, and passes out.

2. The revenge is in no way justified. Everything he does makes other peoples' lives worse, including his surviving family's lives. He doesn't accomplish anything, since the whole movie is him digging himself out of a hole he dug himself. And he doesn't even get the satisfaction of killing his parents' killer, since he's already dead, so that hole he dug was for naught. Most revenge movies don't outright support revenge, but they at least afford the main character the satisfaction of his revenge.

Required reading for theater patrons:
http://tinyurl.com/shutheeffup

[–] Don_Cheech 9 years ago

To be fair, he did end up killing 2/3 of the family - and literally pissed on the fathers grave (who killed his parents) so although it is up to opinion, I believe this qualifies as revenge. The main character seemed to have accepted the hopelessness of it all at the very end - he basically gives up

[–] StaunchWoman 10 years ago

I enjoyed the realism of the story and actions. What the main character had planned, how it went down and what it created in the process. I found it entertaining from start to finish, it always had my attention.
I also found the practical effects to be phenomenal. When Wade gets stabbed in the throat and head, that bloody eye along with his confused looking around. Very well done on all aspects.

I found the film to have great acting, pacing and effects, along with a great story. That`s why I like it.

We've met before, haven't we?

[–] remembervhs 10 years ago

I think the opening was the best part of this movie. The way it starts is totally at odds with how almost every movie starts these days. It was really spellbinding and drew me in.

The rest of the movie was good as well, but it was the opening that really sold me.

[–] 10 years ago

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